Devon Bears Honey Fueled Adventure

Devon Bears' Great Escape Ends in Honey-Fuelled Nap

A pair of young European brown bears at a Devon wildlife park enjoyed a brief taste of freedom, embarking on an adventure that led them straight to a week's supply of honey before culminating in a contented slumber.

A routine Monday afternoon at the Wildwood Devon park took an unexpected turn when two resident brown bears, siblings named Mish and Lucy, slipped out of their habitat. The four-year-old bears did not stray far. Instead, they made a direct line for the park's food stores, where they indulged in an impromptu feast. Their primary target was a substantial quantity of honey, an amount keepers said would typically last the bears a full week. After their sweet-toothed escapade, the duo was guided securely back into their living space, where they promptly fell asleep.

Park officials confirmed that at no point were any visitors in danger. As a precautionary measure, all people present on site at the time were calmly led into a protected structure. The entire incident was resolved within an hour, a testament to the swift actions of the park's experienced keeper team. An official probe into the "operational error" that allowed the escape has now started.

A Sweet, Short-Lived Adventure

The escape, which occurred on the afternoon of Monday, 23 June, triggered the park's well-rehearsed safety protocols. Staff continuously tracked the bears' movements using both on-the-ground observation and CCTV cameras. Footage released by the park showed Lucy "caught red-handed" enjoying the spoils of her adventure in the food storage area.

The expert keeper team utilised recall training to coax the bears back inside their habitat, avoiding the need for any more forceful intervention. Mish, the male, reportedly returned voluntarily, while Lucy required a little more persuasion. She was successfully coaxed to return using the sound of a bell combined with her preferred treats.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police came to the location, a standard procedure in such events. A police helicopter was also seen circling the area in the vicinity of Ottery St Mary. Wildwood Devon expressed its gratitude to both its employees and guests for collaborating, which helped ensure a swift and safe resolution. The park has assured the public that the habitat's integrity is sound and that a full internal investigation will identify and rectify the cause of the operational lapse.

From Albanian Snows to Devon Woodlands

The journey to Wildwood Devon for Mish and Lucy is a story of survival against the odds. In 2019, the sibling cubs were discovered alone in a snowdrift in the mountains of Albania, abandoned by their mother. With predators circling, conservationists intervened to save them. It soon became clear that the cubs could not be safely reintroduced into the wild and would require a permanent home.

The Wildwood Trust, a conservation charity dedicated to protecting British wildlife, launched a fundraising campaign to rescue the bears. After a temporary stay at the Trust's sister park in Kent, the bears were moved to their permanent, custom-built 1.5-acre enclosure inside the Wildwood Devon park in 2021. Here, they have thrived, with Mish known for his playful nature and Lucy for her love of climbing trees.

The pair's diet is substantial, consuming kilograms of fruit, vegetables, berries, seeds, fish, and meat each day, making their honey binge a particularly rich treat. Their story highlights the crucial role that organisations like the Wildwood Trust play in rescuing and rehabilitating animals that can no longer survive in the wild.

Image Credit - Freepik

The Wildwood Trust: A Commitment to Conservation

The Wildwood Trust, a registered charity established in 2002, operates two wildlife parks in the UK, one in Kent and the other at the Escot Park estate in Devon. Its core mission is the conservation of native British wildlife, with a strong focus on rewilding and education. The trust works to protect threatened species and restore natural habitats, using its parks to connect people with the natural world and inspire a passion for conservation.

The trust has been involved in numerous conservation projects, including the successful breeding and reintroduction of water voles and a flagship project to introduce European bison into a woodland in Kent to promote habitat restoration. Wildwood has also become a leading centre for the rescue and rehabilitation of brown bears from across Europe, providing sanctuary for animals saved from difficult situations, such as abusive facilities or the shadow of war.

Caring for rescued bears is a significant undertaking, with the trust spending tens of thousands of pounds annually on each bear for food, shelter, medical care, and enrichment. The stories of bears like Mish, Lucy, and others rescued by the trust serve as powerful reminders of the threats facing wildlife and the importance of conservation efforts.

Understanding a Unique Bear Species

The brown bear subspecies found in Europe lives across the continent. Historically, their range was vast, but it has now shrunk to several core populations and a few isolated pockets. These animals are highly adaptable, inhabiting a range of environments from forests to mountain landscapes.

They are omnivores, with a diet that is surprisingly plant-based, consisting of berries, fruits, nuts, and roots. They supplement this with insects, carrion, and occasionally larger prey. Their powerful sense of smell, estimated to be 100 times better than a human's, is crucial for finding food.

Adult males are significantly larger than females, with weights varying greatly depending on the season. Despite their size and strength, these particular bears are generally shy and actively avoid humans. Encounters are rare and usually occur when a bear is surprised or provoked. They are not typically territorial, as their largely vegetarian diet means they do not need exclusive hunting grounds.

Safety and Protocols in UK Wildlife Parks

Animal escapes from zoos and wildlife parks in the UK are rare, but facilities are required to have comprehensive and regularly rehearsed emergency plans. The Zoo Licensing Act mandates that these procedures are in place to ensure safety for the public, staff, and the animals themselves. These drills cover various scenarios and are designed to be carried out efficiently and calmly.

Standard protocols include nominating a person to take charge, raising an alarm, securing visitors, and having a clear strategy for recapture. This can range from luring an animal back with food, as was the case with Lucy, to using physical or chemical restraints if necessary. Liaison with external emergency services, such as the police, is a key part of the plan.

The ultimate goal of any escape protocol is to handle the incident without harm to any person or animal. Detailed records are kept of any event, allowing parks to review and improve their safety measures continually. The incident which occurred at the Devon park, while unexpected, demonstrated the effectiveness of these established procedures in ensuring a safe outcome for all involved.